Back from PPW and couldn't wait to post what we heard about our Class of 2014!
- 2nd lowest rate of attrition on record
- The lowest illness/injury reporting rate since record keeping began
This is one tough, motivated group of young men and women, and we are very proud of them!
Thank you to the detailers and all whom have had a hand in leading them during the past weeks. Go Class of 2014! Go Navy!
You have every right to be proud. Any parent should be proud of their midshipman's accomplishments.
However, not to rain on your parade but, but I think these statistics are more of a reflection of recent academy policy changes than the particular grit of the Class.
As far as record-breaking low attrition is concerned, don't you find it odd that the Class of 2014 was only superseded by the Class of 2013? And I'll bet the Class of 2012 is in contention, as well. I would venture a guess that had 2013 experienced the blistering heat that 2014 experienced during their Plebe Summer, there would have been a reversal in those standings. I don't think the Class of 2013 even knows what a "black flag" is.
Plebe Summer (and Plebe
Year, for that matter) is no longer seen as a "weeding out" process (as has been in the past) so much as it is an "educating process." There's no doubt about it, the Naval Academy has turned into a "kinder and gentler" place than in the past. That may be a good thing - I don't know.
Further, the academy has been systematically eliminating certain evolutions that have proven themselves to be "injury causers." That's probably a good thing and it seems to be manifesting itself. For instance, the Class of 2013's Sea Trials had certain events removed/altered in an attempt to reduce injuries. This philosophy was taken to extremes when they became the first class in a VERY long time to "climb" an ungreased Herndon - ostensibly to, again, reduce the number of injuries.
Don't fool yourself into thinking that the Class of 2014 is, somehow, tougher and more determined than previous academy classes simply because they have had record-breaking low attrition. Maybe ... may be
not. In fact, I'd say ...
probably not.
I will say this, however. I think the academy is getting better at educating candidates at what they are getting into when they accept an appointment. I think technology has a lot to do with that - the internet, in particular.
In years past, there were always some midshipmen who showed up for I-Day not fully understanding the "adventure" they had signed-up for. They became disillusioned very quickly and would sometimes quit as a result.
Congratulations to the Class of 2014!
Go Navy, Beat Maryland!